Dual flushing unit for toilet bowls



April 23, 1963 E. H. BARLOW 3,086,217

DUAL FLUSHING UNIT FOR TOILET BOWLS Filed May 17, .1.961

United States Patent O 3,086,217 DUAL FLUSHING UNIT FOR TOILET BOWLS Edward H. Barlow, Waterbury, Conn., assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed May 17, 1961, Ser. No. 110,747 3 Claims. (Cl. 4--41) This invention is an improved dual ushing unit for toilet bowls. More particularly, the invention utilizes a diverter valve for directing the water flowing ltrom the ball cock to a rim ilush during the time the tank is being emptied.

The objects of my invention are: to provide an improved valve of the above type which will be quiet in operation, compact and economical to make, and which is controlled automatically without additional effort other than Athat required to lift the usual tank outlet valve. Preferably, the invention involves the automatic hydraulic operation [of the diverter valve which directs the inlet ilow to the rim ush by a pilot valve actuated by vertical movement ot the lift rod of the tank outlet valve.

A further object is to provide a diverter valve which is more positive in operation and which will direct substantially the full ow of water from the ball cock valve directly into the rim tlush.

Another object is to provide a diverter valve in which the rell to the toile-t bowl is controlled by the position of the piston in the diverter valve during the time the tank is being relled.

iOther objects and advantages will appear from the following description and accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. l is a cross-sectional view through a conventional toilet bowl and integral tank combination having a dual ush unit embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational end view of a conventional ball cock valve and a cross-sectional view of my hydraulic control showing it in rim-Hush operating position;

FIG. 3 is a similar view of the hydraulic control only showing it in the tank-rell position; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view through the pilot valve taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawing, lthe numeral designates a toilet bowl having an integral water supply tank 1.1 associated therewith. A passageway 12 leads from the tank 11 to a discharge port 13 adjacent the base of the bowl. The bowl 101 is formed with the usual hollow rim 15 having a series of discharge por-ts 16 through which water is directed for the rim-ilushing operation.

Water is supplied to the tank 11 through a feed pipe 17 having a conventional ball cock Valve 18 mounted on its upper end. Associated with the ball `cock valve is an anti-Siphonic unit 19 4to which water is directed and discharged through a dependent boss 20. Mounted on the base of the tank 11 is the usual valve seat 21 which is normally closed by a tank outlet float-type ball valve 22 having a lift stem or rod `2B connected thereto. A trip lever 24 for actuating the flushing mechanism is connected to the upper end of the lift rod 23. The usual overflow pipe 25 is conected to the valve seat 21.

A hydraulically-controlled diverter valve unit is arranged .to control the ilow between the ball cock valve and the tank. As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the diverter valve consists of `a housing 2.6 havin-g a hollow angular neck 27 integrally joined to one end of the housing. The opposite end of the neck 27 is threaded into a tapped hole 2S in the dependent boss 20 of the antisiphonic unit for supporting the housing and connecting it directly to the uid supply. The underside of the housing 26 is connected to a tank-refill pipe 29 and to another pipe 30 leading to the hollow rim 15 of the toilet bowl for 3,086,217 Patented Apr. 23, 1963 ice the rim-flush. The housing 26 is formed with a hollow chamber or cylinder 3-1 within which is slidably mounted a floating piston 32. The end of the cylinder 31 is closed by a cap 33 having a lateral nipple 34 to which is connected a ilexible hose 3'5 leading to a pilot valve unit 36 to be more fully described later.

Considering now the details of the oating piston 32, it is constructed with cylindrical right and left end portions 3'7 and 38 respectively, for slidable engagement Within the cylinder 31 and with a reduced portion 39 therebetween. Ihe piston 32 is provided with a hollow chamber 40 opening through the left cylindrical portion 3S and closed by the right cylindrical portion 37. One or more ports 41 are provided in the piston-reduced portion 39 to direct water from the piston chamber 40' to the area surrounding the reduced portion. Adjacent the right cylindrical portion 37 is a slightly reduced cylindrical portion 42 of about .010" less than the diameter of the cylinder 311. When the storage tank is being refilled, this clearance allows a small amount of water to ilow into the rim flush pipe 3i) when the piston is in its nor-mal retracted position as shown in FIG. 3 for the purpose of replenishing the water in the toilet bowl up to its normal level.

To allow a limited amount of water to flow through the piston 3K2 into the right end of the cylinder 31, the right closed cylindrical por-tion 37 is provided with a central bleed aperture 43 through Which a rod `44 is slidably passed. The `aperture 43 is dimensioned to be a few -thousandths larger than the rod 44 to allow for a iluid bleed space therebetween. The rod 44, which is anchored to the closure cap 33 by a screw plug 45, is for the purpose of keeping the aperture 43 free of any foreign matter which may become lodged within the bleed aperture 43.

To direct the full force of the supply water passing through the ball cock valve 18 and the anti-siphonic unit 19 into the floating piston 32 for the purpose of obtaining a quicker movement of said piston, a tubular extension 46 is driven into the angular neck 27 and is of such length and diameter as to have slidable engagement in the hollow chamber 40 of the piston, 32 even when the latter is at its outmost position of FIG. 2. Movement of the piston 3'2 to the right in the cylinder 31 is arrested by a stop pin 47 carried by the right closed end 37 of said piston and adapted to abut against the inner face of the end cap 33 as a stop as seen in FIG. 2. It will be noted that in this position of the piston, -the left cylindrical portion 3S closes oi the port to the tank refill pipe 29 and aligns the piston-reduced portion 39 with the port leading to the rim flush pipe 30.

As above pointed out, movement of the piston 3-2 is controlled by a pilot valve unit 36 which consists of a guide boss 48 having a vertical bore 48a Within which the ball valve lift stem 23 has a relatively loose slidable t. The guide boss 48 is formed as an integral part of a bracket clamp 49 adjustably mounted on the overflow pipe 2S. Threaded into the guide boss 4S is a nipple 50 to which the ilexible hose 35 is attached. A ball check valve 51 operates within an enlarged chamber 52 in the nipple 50 and is normally urged against a valve seat 53 at the inner end of said nipple by the static water pressure in the hose line 35.

The ball check valve 51 extends a substantial distance beyond the seat 53 so as to project into the vertical bore 48a in the boss 48 when the nipple is assembled thereto. The amount of projection of the ball valve 51 in the bore 48a can be predetermined by the position of a shoulder 54 on nipple 50 abutting against the boss 4S. The ball check valve 5-1 is controlled by the lift stem 23 which has an intermediate reduced portion 23a normally positioned in line with the check valve 51 as shown in FIG. 3, when the ball oat yvalve Z2 is in closed position on its 3 valve seatZl. However, when the stem 23 rises as it does during the tiushing operation, the full diameter portion of the stem 23 will engage the ball check valve 511 to open the valve.

From FIG. 4 it will be noted that there is an opening 42 in the guide boss 48 diametrically opposite the ball check valve 51. This is to provide a quick discharge for 4the Water as soon as the check valve 51 is opened, thus expediting the release of Water pressure in the right side of the piston chamber 31.

Operation When the trip lever 24 is actuated to operate the flushing mechanism, the ball oat valve 22 will be elevated from its valve seat 21 to its upper position as determined by contacting the underside of the guide boss 43. This operation places the full diameter of the lift stem 23 in contact with the ball check valve S1 unseating it from the valve seat 53 and relieving the static pressure in the hose line 35 and from the right end of the cylinder 31 whereupon the piston 312 will be forced to the right as shown in FIG. 2. In this position, the port to the tank-refill pipe 29 will be closed and the full force of the water passing through the ball cock valve 18 and antisiphonic unit 19 will be directed to the piston 32, out through the ports 41 and into the rim iiush pipe 30.

During this period, the water will be draining from the tank 11 for flushing the bowl lil and as the water level drops within the tank, the iioat valve will descend with the water level until finally sucked into closed position with the valve seat 21. The closed position of the iioat valve 22 will, of course, bring the reduced portion 23a of the lift stem 23 into alignment with the check valve 51 permitting it to seat and close the pilot valve whereupon water pressure will build up in the hose line 35 and in the right side of the cylinder 31, thus causing the piston 32 to move back to its normal left position of FIG. 3, it being understood that the pressure on the left side of the piston will be reduced because of the free ilow through the ports 41. The main flow of Water will now be directed through the tank refill pipe 29, and also by reason of the reduced cylindrical portion 42, some amount of water will continue to flow through the rim-flush pipe 30 to establish the normal Water level within the toilet bowl 10. The flow of water through the diverter valve for iill- 4 ing the tank and recharging the bowl will be shut oft at the ball cock valve 18 under the control of the usual ball float.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above described embodiment of the invention and come within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. Flushing apparatus for toilet bowls having a rim flush comprising a tank, a iloat-type tank-outlet ball valve therein, a ball cock valve, a diverter valve between the ball cock valve and tank, said diverter valve comprising a cylinder having a rim-flush outlet port and a tank-refill outlet port, a piston slidable in said cylinder which in one position serves to close said tank-refill port and open said rim-iiush port and in another position serving to open said tank-rell port and close said rim-flush port, hydraulic means for shifting said piston between such positions including a pilot valve, and means carried by and responsive to the position of said tank-outlet valve for actuating said pilot valve.

2. Flushing apparatus as deined in claim l wherein said piston when positioned in said cylinder to open said tank-refill port has means lto allow some fluid to pass out through said rim-flush port.

3. Flushing apparatus for toilet bowls comprising a tank, a float-type outlet ball valve therein having a lift stem, a ball cock valve, a diverter valve comprising a cylinder having intermediate its ends a rim-ush outlet port and a tank-refill outlet port, a piston slidable in said cylinder which at one end of the cylinder serves to close said tank-refill port and open said rimtiush port and when at the other end of the cylinder the piston will open said tank-refill port and close said rim-iush port, a pilot valve associated with said lift stem, means connecting said one end of said cylinder to said ball cock valve and said other end to said pilot valve, said piston having a bleed opening therethrough to equalize the pressures on each side of the piston, and means on said lift stem for opening and closing said pilot valve whereby when said pilot valve is open said piston will move to said one end of said cylinder and when closed said piston will move to the said other end of said cylinder.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,670,326 Teahen May 22, 1928 2,773,267 Kohlmeyer Dec. l1, 1956 2,838,765 Hosking lune 17, 1958 

1. FLUSHING APPARATUS FOR TOILET BOWLS HAVING A RIM FLUSH COMPRISING A TANK, A FLOAT-TYPE TANK-OUTLET BALL VALVE THEREIN, A BALL COCK VALVE, A DIVERTER VALVE BETWEEN THE BALL COCK VALVE AND TANK, SAID DIVERTER VALVE COMPRISING A CYLINDER HAVING A RIM-FLUSH OUTLET PORT AND A TANK-REFILL OUTLET PORT, A PISTON SLIDABLE IN SAID CYLINDER WHICH IN ONE POSITION SERVES TO CLOSE SAID TANK-REFILL PORT AND OPEN SAID RIM-FLUSH PORT AND IN ANOTHER POSITION SERVING TO OPEN SAID TANK-REFILL PORT AND CLOSE SAID RIM-FLUSH PORT, HYDRAULIC MEANS FOR SHIFTING SAID PISTON BETWEEN SUCH POSITIONS INCLUDING A PILOT VALVE, AND MEANS CARRIED BY AND RESPONSIVE TO THE POSITION OF SAID TANK-OUTLET VALVE FOR ACTUATING SAID PILOT VALVE. 